Category: China

Baillie Gifford trims holdings in NIO, Tesla slightly in Q1

Baillie Gifford trimmed its holdings in NIO and Tesla by 0.77 percent and 2.83 percent, respectively, in the first quarter, but the value of its holdings in them rose.

Baillie Gifford held 120,132,616 shares of NIO's US-traded ADRs at the end of the first quarter, according to a 13F filing posted on the SEC's website on May 3.

That's down 926,459 shares, or 0.77 percent, from 121,059,075 at the end of the fourth quarter, CnEVPost's calculations show.

During the fourth quarter of last year, Baillie Gifford's position in NIO increased by 24,277,897 shares or 25.09 percent.

Baillie Gifford's holdings in NIO were worth $1.26 billion at the end of the first quarter, up 6.97 percent from $1.18 billion at the end of the fourth quarter.

NIO rose 7.79 percent in the first quarter after it fell 38 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.

In addition to reducing its position in NIO slightly, Baillie Gifford also reduced its holdings in Tesla slightly in the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, the fund held 26,054,483 shares of Tesla, down 759,855 shares, or 2.83 percent, from 26,814,338 shares in the fourth quarter of last year.

However, Baillie Gifford's holdings in Tesla were worth $5.4 billion at the end of the first quarter, up 63.65 percent from $3.3 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, due to a big jump in Tesla's stock price in the first quarter.

Tesla rose 68.42 percent in the first quarter after it fell 59 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.

Baillie Gifford previously held (NASDAQ: LI), but liquidated its position in the extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) maker in the fourth quarter of last year.

As of March 31, Baillie Gifford did not own Li Auto, (NYSE: XPEV) or BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) shares.

NIO asks its community for advice on pricing of new ES6

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GM goes wild in China as SGMW unveils Baojun Yep with cool retro roof racks. To launch on May 25

On May 12, Baojun shared new pictures and specs of the Baojun Yep mini urban SUV on their official app. The images show Yep with retro-styled aluminum roof racks that can carry up to 30kg of load and an announcement that the car will officially launch on May 25. The EV is aimed at young […]

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Tesla recalls over 1.1 million vehicles in China, will provide fixes via OTA

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Tesla recalls over 1.1 million vehicles in China, will provide fixes via OTA-CnEVPost

Tesla is conducting its biggest recall in China in its history, albeit one that was caused by a software setting and can be fixed via OTA.

Effective May 29, 2023, Tesla is recalling a total of 1,104,622 imported Model S, Model X, Model 3 and China-made Model 3, Model Y vehicles with production dates between January 12, 2019 and April 24, 2023.

The vehicles included in the recall do not allow the driver to select an energy recovery braking strategy, according to a statement from China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

Also, the driver may not have been provided with sufficient warning of prolonged deep depression of the accelerator pedal.

The combination of the above factors may increase the probability of misusing the accelerator pedal for a long period of time, which may increase the risk of a collision and present a safety hazard.

Tesla plans to push newly developed features for vehicles covered by the recall through OTA updates to reduce the risk of crashes caused by excessive speed due to prolonged deep pressing of the accelerator pedal.

The new features include (1) an option to allow drivers to select energy recovery braking intensity on vehicles that do not have energy recovery braking intensity selection, (2) adjustment of the factory default state of the vehicle's energy recovery braking strategy, and (3) an alert when the driver depresses the accelerator pedal deeply for an extended period of time.

Fatal accident puts Tesla in spotlight in China

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Lithium price rally picking up steam in China

Battery grade lithium carbonate rose 7.61 percent in China today, and industrial grade lithium carbonate rose 13.25 percent, both the largest single-day gains of this year.

Lithium price rally picking up steam in China-CnEVPost

Lithium, a key raw material for batteries, is seeing accelerating price gains after a rally that began late last month.

The average price of battery grade lithium carbonate in China was RMB 247,500 ($35,680) per ton today, up RMB 17,500 per ton, or 7.61 percent, from yesterday, according to data from Mysteel.

Industrial grade lithium carbonate averaged RMB 235,000 per ton today, up RMB 27,500 per ton, or 13.25 percent from yesterday.

This is the 10th consecutive day of increase in battery grade lithium carbonate prices and the 13th consecutive day of increase in industrial grade lithium carbonate prices, and they are both the largest single-day gains of this year, CnEVPost's monitoring shows.

As of April 21, lithium carbonate prices have not seen a single day of gains in China this year, falling about 65 percent since the start of the year.

In this round of increases that began late last month, the price of battery grade lithium carbonate rose 37.5 percent from RMB 180,000 per ton, while industrial grade lithium carbonate rose 74 percent.

High lithium prices are clearly not good for China's electric vehicle (EV) industry, but the continued decline in the price of the raw material also reflects weak consumer demand at the end of the spectrum.

The price of battery grade lithium carbonate rose to RMB 590,000 per ton in China on November 23, 2022, up about 14 times from RMB 41,000 per ton in June 2020.

The significant upward movement in lithium prices has resulted in EV makers facing higher battery costs, which has led to impaired profits.

However, the fall in lithium carbonate prices since the end of last year has raised many people more concerns about weak downstream EV demand and price wars.

As lithium prices rebound, some analysts are beginning to see possible signs of improvement in the EV industry.

Lithium carbonate prices have stopped falling and stabilized, reflecting gradually improving downstream demand, Guotai Junan analyst Shi Yan's team said in a research note on May 11.

On May 10, CITIC Securities analyst Yuan Jiancong's team said that the previous sharp drop in lithium carbonate prices and price cuts by automakers had fueled a wait-and-see mood among new energy vehicle (NEV) consumers.

In the second quarter, demand for NEVs is expected to pick up as lithium carbonate prices stabilize, the team said.

CICC analyst Zhang Jiaming's team said in an April 20 research note that the accelerating downward trend in lithium carbonate prices was unsustainable, and lithium prices may gradually stabilize and possibly even rebound in the short term as inventories are reduced.

Due to oversupply, some companies choose to cut production, which is a normal phenomenon that may occur in the process of price reduction, the team said.

However, the team believes that the downward trend in lithium prices may not come to a complete end soon, as the global lithium supply is still in surplus.

Market forces will bring a concentration of new capacity coming online and create supply growth that outpaces demand growth, which is the main driver of the easing lithium supply and demand crunch, the team said.

($1 = RMB 6.9468)

Lithium price in China sees 1st rise this year as analysts expect short-term rebound

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Chinese consumers’ intent to buy NEVs rises for 6th consecutive year, JD Power study shows

Chinese consumers' intent to buy NEVs continues to rise, further squeezing the share of the fuel vehicle market, according to JD Power.

China passenger NEV retail drops 3.6% MoM to 527,000 in Apr, CPCA data show-CnEVPost

Among Chinese consumers who intend to buy a new vehicle in the next six months, the share of those considering new energy vehicles (NEVs) reached 33 percent, up 6 percentage points from 27 percent in 2022, for the sixth consecutive year of increases, according to a study by US market research firm JD Power.

JD Power released the figures in its China New Vehicle Intender Study (NVIS) yesterday, saying the long-term trend toward NEVs is becoming clearer.

Retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles in China were 527,000 units in April, contributing 32.3 percent of all passenger vehicle sales of 1.63 million units, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on May 9.

For comparison, the ratio was 27.1 percent in April last year and only 7.3 percent in January 2021.

In 2023, Chinese consumers' intent to buy NEVs continues to rise, further squeezing the share of the fuel vehicle market, according to JD Power. Intended buyers are consumers who plan to purchase a vehicle in the next six months.

The percentage of consumers considering new energy SUVs has increased significantly, from 11 percent last year to 16 percent this year, and is already on par with new energy sedans, according to JD Power.

Among the new energy models favored most by consumers, luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs and midsize all-electric SUVs saw the largest potential consumer growth, increasing by 6 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.

The percentage of consumers considering purchasing compact pure electric sedans and mid-size pure electric sedans declined significantly, by 7.5 percent and 5.4 percent respectively.

Going forward, there is a significant trend of consumption upgrading alongside rising penetration of NEVs, according to JD Power.

Data released by the CPCA earlier this week also showed the trend, with retail sales of mini-electric vehicle specialist SAIC-GM-Wuling down 15.9 percent year-on-year in January-April and budget EV maker down 14 percent year-on-year in the period.

, which is targeting the higher-end market, saw retail sales in China increase 61.5 percent year-on-year during January to April, with (NASDAQ: LI) up 118.1 percent and NIO (NYSE: NIO) up 22.2 percent. All three of these companies' sales were dominated by SUVs.

Among other findings, JD Power said more than half of consumers prefer to buy local brands in China, with new car-making brands, in particular, more popular.

For the second year in a row, the percentage of people considering buying a local brand vehicle exceeded 50 percent. For Japanese brands the proportion slipped to 12 percent from 15 percent last year, while German brands rose to 17 percent from 13 percent.

Potential consumers with higher education and higher budgets are more receptive to battery swap and battery leasing sales models, JD Power said.

Potential consumers with adequate budgets are more willing to pay for the battery swap model and also have a stronger willingness to buy NEVs, according to the study.

BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz had the highest luxury brand influence scores in the JD Power study, scoring 683, 680 and 661 out of a total of 1,000 points, respectively.

NIO ranked 10th with a score of 607, the highest score among local Chinese luxury brands and higher than Porsche's 605.

HiPhi and IM Motors are the other two brands that made it into this luxury brand ranking, with scores of 549 and 542, respectively.

In the mainstream brand influence score, BYD ranked first with 678 points, Tesla 11th with 634 points, 15th with 631 points, and Li Auto in 34th place with 598 points.

Full CPCA rankings: Top-selling models and automakers in China in Apr

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Neta taps into Malaysian EV market with local launch of Neta V

Prior to entering Malaysia, Neta's efforts in Southeast Asia focused on Thailand and began construction of a Thai factory in March.

Neta taps into Malaysian EV market with local launch of Neta V-CnEVPost

(Image credit: Neta)

Neta Auto, the electric vehicle (EV) brand of Hozon Auto, has entered Malaysia as it ramps up its efforts to expand into the Southeast Asian EV market.

Neta recently officially launched the right-hand drive version of its compact SUV Neta V for local consumers at Malaysia's largest auto show, according to a press release from the company yesterday.

Several Malaysian government officials attended the Neta V launch, according to Neta, whose press release did not announce a local price or expected delivery schedule for the model.

Neta taps into Malaysian EV market with local launch of Neta V-CnEVPost

Neta has been seen as a budget EV maker since its inception, as its vehicles are priced primarily for the lower-end market.

The Neta V and Neta U are priced in China at around 100,000 yuan ($14,390) to 150,000 yuan. The company is looking to enter the higher end of the market in China with the higher-priced Neta S flagship sedan.

Neta taps into Malaysian EV market with local launch of Neta V-CnEVPost

Prior to entering Malaysia, Neta's efforts in Southeast Asia were focused on Thailand.

On August 24, 2022, the right-hand drive version of the Neta V was launched in Thailand, its first model offered there.

On March 10 this year, Neta laid the foundation stone for its plant in Bangkok, Thailand, which will be its main manufacturing base for building right-hand-drive EVs for export to ASEAN.

The plant, Neta's first overseas plant, will have a capacity of 20,000 units/year when completed and is expected to be operational by the end of January 2024.

Neta plans to expand its overseas business to more regions such as the Middle East and the European Union, making it a brand recognized and trusted by consumers around the world, said Zhang Yong, co-founder and CEO of the company, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Thai plant.

To date, Neta already has a European division, a Thai subsidiary and has launched three products for overseas markets, including the Neta V right-hand drive version, it said in the press release yesterday.

Neta delivered 11,080 vehicles in April, which was up 25.72 percent from 8,813 units in the same month last year and up 9.84 percent from 10,087 units in March, the company announced on May 1.

The flagship Neta S delivered 2,237 units in April, up 1.41 percent from 2,206 units in March, according to the company.

Neta has a sales target of 300,000 units in 2023, local media China Securities Journal reported on February 7.

The EV maker sold 152,073 units in 2022, up 118 percent year-on-year, including 3,456 units delivered overseas, according to data it previously announced.

($1 = RMB 6.9487)

Neta sending 3,600 EVs to Thailand

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BYD’s Tesla FSD-like feature said to be available in Q3

BYD's advanced driver-assistance system, called DNP, will be available on the new Han sedan in the third quarter, according to local media.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY) is a rare exception in China's electric vehicle (EV) space, not marketing its assisted driving capabilities much.

While this seems to have had no impact on its sales, it has left some with the impression that it lags behind in smart driving technology.

Now, a new report said BYD actually has technology built up in this area and will launch a feature similar to 's FSD (Full Self-Driving) later this year.

BYD's advanced driver-assistance system will be available on the new Han sedan in the third quarter, giving the model the ability of pilot-assisted driving on the highway, local auto media HiEV said in a report today.

BYD's system is called DNP, and after the Han, it will also be available for some models of the Tang and Song of the Dynasty series, according to the report.

In addition to these models, BYD's higher-positioned brands including Denza, F brand and Yangwang will also be equipped with advanced smart driving features, the report said.

The first BYD advanced assisted driving solution available for Han models will be based on the Journey 5 chip from local chipmaker Horizon Robotics, according to the report.

Horizon Robotics is a leading provider of intelligent driving system solutions in China, and is using its chips in some of its models, and use Nvidia chips in others.

Some models of BYD's Dynasty and Ocean series will also use the Nvidia DRIVE Orin computing platform to create assisted driving systems, the HiEV report noted.

On March 23, BYD announced a partnership with Nvidia on smart driving technology to equip some of its NEVs with the Nvidia DRIVE Hyperion platform for smart driving and smart parking of vehicles starting in the first half of 2023, as previously reported by CnEVPost.

Notably, on December 27 last year, BYD announced that it had established a joint venture with autonomous driving unicorn Momenta, officially kicking off a long-term partnership between the two companies to develop high-level intelligent driving technology.

Momenta, an industry-leading autonomous driving company, will further boost BYD's rapid breakthrough and mass production in the field of intelligent driving, BYD's announcement at the time said.

The high trim version of Denza N7 is equipped with city pilot assisted driving function, with 2 RoboSense LiDARs and an Nvidia Orin X chip, with some of the system's algorithms provided by Momenta, according to HiEV's report today.

The Denza N7 will have basic L2 assisted driving features when it goes on sale in June, with other more advanced features to be released later, the report said, citing a Denza insider.

For the Yangwang brand, which is positioned above Denza, its first model, the U8, is equipped with three LiDARs, while the autonomous driving computing platform uses an Nvidia Orin chip, according to the report.

The Yangwang U8 is priced similarly to the Lotus Eletre with its smart driving solution, and both will have highway as well as city road pilot-assisted driving capabilities, the report said.

Earlier today, another local media outlet, 36kr, reported that BYD's smart driving R&D system is rapidly adjusting and the company is planning to conduct its own smart driving chip design.

While BYD's existing models are currently largely dependent on solutions from external suppliers, including Baidu, Huawei and Momenta, the NEV maker is already accelerating its focus on smart driving, the 36kr report said.

BYD ramps up smart driving R&D efforts, forms chip design team, report says

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